Artemis Fowl and the Golden Disc
by Jessika Organa Solo
Summary: Artemis is determined to end the mystery. Holly tries to deal with what has become of her life.
1. 1

A/N: This story is set three and a half years after Artemis's mind wipe. Song is Linkin Park's "Somewhere I Belong."

**Artemis Fowl's diary, disk 3 (encrypted)**

_On this day, seventeen years after my birth, my father handed me a simple black book and instructed me to read it in its entirety. After having dinner with my mother and my father, I retired to my room to read, at the dismay of Juliet, who insisted that I eat dessert before leaving the table. Her days with the wrestling team in the __US__ had not changed her at all. She returned to us several weeks ago after the group was bought out by a television station in __New York__. Evidently, Jade Princess had become very popular among the boys in the __US__, but she felt that her place was at the Fowl Manor, so she has returned to us. _

_            My mother is thoroughly convinced that Juliet has begun to fancy me, as she put it, but I disagree with this. However, to be on the safe side, I have been hiding out in my laboratory more often, conversing with Butler on the status of the new electronic security system that we are building for the Manor. I haven't said anything to __Butler__ about his sister, but I think that he has come to the same conclusion as my mother. _

_            My father is continuing his business venture with the Japanese car company, Honda. It seems that he has become very interested in their hybrid electric cars, and he has been lobbying in __London__ and in the __US__ for more legislation concerning air pollution. Much to my surprise, I find myself agreeing with him on this particular subject. I believe all of this stems from an experience I had several years ago while vacationing in a location that I can't recall. I was brought a glass of spring water so clean, that it didn't even taste like water. I asked the waitress about it, but I can't remember her words. Only, I remember her face… I can't remember the restaurant, or even her name, but I do remember her face. She had hazel eyes, I believe._

_            Somehow, I believe all of these memories are still connected to the conspiracy of the contact lenses I found in my eyes some three and a half years ago. My mind has an explanation for all of it, but my heart is not convinced. Something happened to __Butler__, Juliet, and I, and I am not going to stop searching until I find the answers to my questions. All of my memories are intact, but they all seem to be lies, such as the vacation with the destination I can't recall. _

_            I can't help but be entranced by a song that's popular in the __US__. I've never been one for music, but when I heard Juliet listening to it late last night, I heard the words that described the feelings I have been having for the past three years…_

_I will never know myself until I do this on my own  
And I will never feel anything else, until my wounds are healed  
I will never be anything till I break away from me  
I will break away, I'll find myself today_

_  
I wanna heal, I wanna feel like I'm somewhere I belong  
I wanna heal, I wanna feel like I'm somewhere I belong  
Somewhere I belong_

Don't worry… ;) To be continued!


	2. 2

**Captain Holly Short's Apartment, Lower Elements**

After reading the latest entry in Artemis's diary, Holly slumped back into her chair. She had been reading the diary for the past year, after secretly begging Foaly to hack into Artemis's computer and download the files from his temporary file folder. She really shouldn't have been reading them. It caused her so much pain, but it was even worse not knowing what was going on with Artemis. The mindwipe had affected Holly more than it had affected even Artemis himself. Holly was heart broken, and unfortunately, her memories were intact.

She had begun her own diary just after the mindwipe, recording all of the current events so that when she met Artemis again, she would be able to tell him everything. Holly had known that he hadn't been under the _mesmer_ before the mindwipe. After thinking about it for a few days, it had all made perfect sense. Artemis wanted to get his memories back, and she, Holly, wasn't going to do a thing to stop him.

**Captain Holly Short, Page 891**

            _I read the latest entry in Artemis's diary today, and if left me with the same feelings as usual. He mentioned me again, but he cannot properly recall me. And, my fears are becoming a reality since Artemis has realized that Juliet has feelings for him. She has returned from the _United States___ and continues to throw herself at Artemis. Although, who am I to try to hold him back? He doesn't even remember me…_

            Holly looked around her apartment at the depressing setting. Tears filled her eyes as they did every night. Why did Root have to mindwipe Artemis? Her anger swelled as she thought back to the last time she had talked to Artemis. Root was there, overseeing the mindwipe, leaving her no chance to say what she had wanted to say. Root had robbed her of a proper goodbye, and for that, she would never forgive him.

            Her life had not gone smoothly since the mindwipe. True, she had remained in Recon and she was as skilled as ever, but a fairy could not work 24 hours a day. She spent every lonely night sitting at the computer terminal in her apartment, searching for information on Artemis or looking for a way to become human. If it could be done, she was going to find out. She was a mere shell of a fairy. Even completing the Ritual left her with an empty feeling. How was she to live when she had nothing really to live for?

**LEP Headquarters, Lower Elements**

            After another sleepless night, Holly drug herself into LEP headquarters to report for work. Her eyes were puffy and her olive skin was now almost as pale as Artemis's. "Holly, you look sick! Are you alright?" Trouble Kelp asked her, stopping her in the hall. "I'm fine," she lied, rubbing her tired, bloodshot eyes. "Have you been visiting Artemis Fowl again?" he whispered, frowning. Anger filled her voice as she balled up her firsts. "You leave me alone! I can see who I want to see!" she said, her tone dangerous. "Not if you're visiting the surface unauthorized, even if it is at night," Trouble said, crossing his arms. Tears filled Holly's eyes as she glared at him. "I'm only doing this because I care about you, Holly," he continued, walking closer to embrace her. "Get away from me!" she yelled, pushing him into a crowd of young LEP officers. "I hate you, Trouble Kelp! Leave me the hell alone!" she screamed, stomping off to Foaly's cubicle. Trouble chuckled and shrugged. "Women."

            Choking back sobs, Holly flipped down her helmet visor as she walked to see Foaly, the only being she could confide in. When she reached the door, the centaur was sitting in his specially made chair, staring at a video clip. A small portion repeated itself in slow motion, showing Artemis handing the gold medalling to Mulch. Holly tapped on the door softly, causing Foaly to flinch. He turned around, noticing Holly and pressing a switch to allow her to enter. Not speaking, he stared at the screen for a few seconds before magnifying one still frame. The medallion glinted in the light and Holly removed her helmet, massaging her ears as she looked at Foaly questioningly. He magnified the picture again, showing the medallion clearly. "Foaly…" she gasped, noticing that the medallion was not a medallion at all. "It's a disc…" Foaly finished for her, turning around to meet her eyes. "It's a disc painted gold, and Mulch has it," Foaly continued, his fingers flying over a keyboard. Mulch's file popped up on the screen. "Released?!" Holly said incredulously. Foaly nodded, continuing to type. Holly looked around for a moment and then said, "Foaly, we have to find Mulch before Mulch finds Artemis. I have to be the one who gives him the memories back, not Mulch!" Foaly chuckled. "Oh how you fairies underestimate this poor centaur. I'm already three steps ahead of you…"

To be continued…


	3. 3

A/N: Some of you have expressed dislike at the thought of a Holly/Artemis romance, and I myself think it might be a little weird/nasty in a way due to the fact that she is so much older, but I'm going to try to find a way to get around that in this story. I seriously don't want him to get with Juliet because I don't like her character. Also, about Holly getting all depressed… you'd be surprised at what can happen to a person, even a strong person, just because of a guy. Believe me. 

I really appreciate all of your insight and comments. You guys are wonderful reviewers… your reviews are so thoughtful. Please bear with me… I'm going to try to find a way to make it seem not so nasty. ;) This is a hard fandom to write… the characters are not as well defined in the stories as say Hermione, Ron, and Harry are in the HP books. Colfer has left a lot up to our interpretation since we don't get to see a lot of interaction between the people, especially the minor characters. 

To answer some of your questions, Holly is around 85 years old. I'm assuming that's equal to about 20 in human development terms. She lost her father when she was "only 60, and that was more than 20 years ago." Juliet is now about 21, since she was 18 years old in EC.

**Remember… every fan fic is an experiment. It's an adventure with the characters. Since this fandom is relatively small, there are a lot of adventures left for all of you. If you don't like how I'm writing it, then make your own story. It's the freedom to write that makes Fanfiction.net so great. I hope my story inspires you to write one similar, or one that is totally different! Have fun with fan fic. It's our little adventure**.

And now, on to the story… ;)

**Artemis Fowl's diary, disk 3 (encrypted)**

_After much argument on my part, my mother is forcing me to visit her friend with her. Mother said that the woman used to adore me when I was a baby, and now she wants to see me again. However, it will give me a chance to relax and forget about this conspiracy for once. Sometimes I find it easier to solve a problem after I've stepped away from it for a few days._

_            Juliet will accompany us to __London__. Every moment I spend with her, things get more and more uncomfortable. I'm trying to be polite and nice for __Butler__'s sake, but I'm having trouble. Artemis Fowl, being polite? I know… I asked myself the same question. Perhaps the return of my father has had a serious impact on my attitude. Or perhaps it is this conspiracy. For once, I have no idea._

**Artemis Fowl's diary, disk 3 (encrypted), addendum**

_The most peculiar thing just occurred. As I was getting dressed for this visit, I reached for my favorite blazer. I have no idea why it is my favorite, but as I brought the blazer to my nose to smell it, I heard my own voice. "This blazer smells unusual," I whispered, as if someone had taken over my body, "Not unpleasant, but unusual." A voice in my head joined mine. It was a female voice that sounded very familiar. "It's completely clean," she said, "Foaly had to put it through three cycles in the machine to purge—"  Strangely enough, I finished her sentence, "To purge the Mud Man from it."_

_            This vision only adds to the mystery. Who was Foaly? What were Mud Men? Was this vision a memory? These were answers that I would have to find after I returned. Mother wouldn't allow me to bring my laptop._

Sorry it's so short. I've got another chapter written that I'm going to type up right now.


	4. 4

A/N: This is the second chapter I've uploaded today, so make sure that you have read chapter 3. ;)

**The ****Everglades****, ****Florida**

            Foaly had traced Mulch all the way to Florida. As Holly hovered above his shack in the Everglades, her thoughts drifted. If Artemis was experiencing memory triggers, then it was only a matter of time before he would have his memories back. As much as this excited her, it also worried her. She needed to be there. She needed to be the one to help him remember _all_ of it, like the part about not hurting the People. As much as she wanted to be there for her own personal reasons, Holly knew that this issue was very important for the safety of the People. 

            Root hadn't liked the plan at all, but Foaly had convinced him that some things are just too big to mind wipe. "Julius, it is already starting to come back to him, and if someone realizes this, someone who wants to get rid of the LEP, then it would be all too easy to turn Artemis into the monster that he once was!" Foaly had explained as Root puffed on a fungus cigar, the mere remembrance causing Holly's eyes to water. "First off, do NOT call me Julius! Second, how do we know that he will not harm the People after he gets his memories back?" Root had asked, his face a shade of Valentine red. Foaly sighed. He and Holly didn't really have any evidence, only a hunch. So, Foaly improvised. "Brain wave analysis… you see, when the body enters the REM sleep stage—"  Foaly had begun, but Root cut him off. "Save it. I'm sure it all makes sense to a smart pony like yourself, but I really don't care. Just fix this. The council is upset about Fowl getting his memories back, but I told them that another mind wipe wouldn't work."

            Loading her Neutrino 2003, the latest technology in weaponry with all of the features of the original 2000, Holly inserted a sleeping dart. Unshielding herself, she touched her feet to the ground, shutting off the set of wings that she had borrowed. Creeping up to the door of Mulch's shack, she observed the surroundings. Various bugs flew around her, some lighting up in the dark, humid Florida night. Flipping her helmet visor up, she knocked sharply on the door three times. "Coming, my princess!" Mulch called in a sing-song way from inside the shack. Holly rolled her hazel eyes as the door flung open. Mulch managed to say, "Hey, you're not my princess!" before Holly cut him off with a dart to the neck. 

            Immediately slumping to the floor, Mulch grunted. "Thanks for making it so simple, Mulch," Holly said, smiling as she reached down and untied the golden disc. Mulch had been keeping it with him, just as Holly had suspected. She turned it over in her hand, examining the gold leaf on the outside of the disc. "I'm coming Artemis, just give me a few days," she whispered, flipping her visor back down and flying back to the transport that she had begged Root to let her borrow.

            "Foaly? You there?" she said, settling down into the pilot's seat. "No, this is Foaly's evil twin, your worst nightmare… OF COURSE I'm here, you silly fairy!" he said, snorting. "Well, I've got the disc. That dart knocked Mulch on his back, and the idiot was wearing it. I don't know if he knew that it was a disc," Holly said, starting up the transport and taking off. "Well, the easy part is over. The hard part is yet to come. I hope you know what you're in for, Holly," Foaly said, his voice hushed. "Look, Foaly, I have to do this for Artemis. We owe it to him," she paused, before continuing to say, "and I can't take this anymore. My life just isn't right without him!"

To be continued. I'll be gone for a week on vacation, but I'm planning to write on the car rides. So, no updates next week, but there should be more than one chapter when I get back.   


	5. Author's note

A/N: Sorry if I tricked you into thinking that I've posted a new chapter, but I wanted to tell you all bye before I leave for my vacation and also clear up something from the reviews…

**Don't worry! This WILL be A/H and will not be A/J! ;) **

I stated this in chapter 3 in the author's note, but it was probably a little confusing. 

Anyways, feel free to email me with the address in my profile or leave me multiple reviews if you have any requests, ideas, or suggestions. Like I said, this is a hard fandom to write, but I am going to try my best. 

I'll be thinking about you all while I'm at Myrtle Beach! Hehehe! ;)

~JOS


	6. 5

A/N: You guys are so awesome. I loved all of the reviews that I received when I got home and checked my mail. You will be happy to know that I have written two chapters for this fic and another short chapter for my HP fic "Three Years Later." Read, review, and enjoy. I'll post this one and then type up the text for chapter six sometime today or tonight after I get off work. This one is kind of short, but chapter six is a little longer. I'm hoping that FF.net is back up later today or else I'm going to be upset!

**Captain Holly Short's Apartment, Lower Elements**

            "D'Arvit, Foaly, it's almost three o'clock in the morning! What could you possibly want?" Holly groaned after hearing Foaly's voice in her ear piece, which was lying on her bedside table. "Holly, this kid is a genius. The contents of this disc are amazing! However, I think they are a bit overwhelming for someone who is essentially a 'nuke job.' So, I've decided to copy some of his memories and some of these files onto another disc. I think it would be best if you delivered the disc to him somehow, and then remained in the area to talk to him after he regains consciousness," Foaly said, keys clacking in the background. Rubbing her eyes, Holly sat up in bed, the satin sheets slipping off of her as she reached over and picked up the earpiece. "That's all fine, but how—hang on a second here…" Holly said, Foaly's words sinking in, "After he regains consciousness?" Foaly sighed. Honestly, sometimes fairies were so dense. "Holly, a shock to the body like this is going to knock him out. That's how we know it's working. His brain has to 'reboot' in a sense. It should only take about fifteen minutes, but it's important that you are there when he wakes up. The first thing he has to see is you." Holly yawned loudly and another sigh escaped the centaur. "Foaly, it's three o'clock in the morning. We'll talk about this later. I need some sleep," she said, yawning again.

**LEP Headquarters, Lower Elements**

            "… so my suggestion is that we plant this self extracting file into his computer. It will be simple for me to hack in. Once he turns on his laptop, the file will extract itself and play, showing him The Booke, his files on the LEP, and a few select memories that I recorded. Last will be a short video clip that we're going to record right now," Foaly said, standing up to operate the camera that was linked to his computer. Holly looked startled. "I don't know what to say! I'm not doing this!" she objected, standing up with her hands balled into fists at her side. Foaly frowned at her sternly. "This is very important, and you know it. Fowl has to remember that he is a friend to the People, not someone who wants to exploit us. Besides, I can see right through you. I know that you're hoping that your friendship with him will develop into something more." Holly silently fumed. It was a well known fact that Holly greatly missed her friendship with Artemis, but very few people knew her well enough to realize that she was hoping for more. "Alright," she said, her teeth clenched, "let's get this over with."

            Foaly nodded as he began to film her, indicating that she should begin talking. "Hey Artemis, this is Holly. Can you remember me? Do you remember the time that you kidnapped me? That was not very nice of you, but we became friends. Do you remember that? Do you remember that we saved your father? And the time we saved Butler and got the C Cube back… do you remember that? You are my friend, Artemis, and you don't want to harm the People. Foaly and I miss you, Artemis." She stopped speaking and Foaly stopped the camera. "That was decent," he said, looking over at Holly as she continued to fume. For once, Foaly regretted angering his friend, seeing as how she was once of his best and only friends. They sat silently for a few minutes as Foaly added the video file to the self extracting file. He head Holly sigh and turned to look at her. Tears were welling up in her eyes and her face was turning red. She drew herself up to her full height of three feet and began to pace the small cubicle, her arms crossed in front of her body. Since she had last seen Artemis (or rather, since he had last seen her), at his mind wipe, Holly had allowed her hair to grow to shoulder length, and it was now long, sleek and auburn. The look suited her. 

            The male fairies seemed to think the look suited her as well. Chix was always winking at her in the halls, Grub was constantly asking her out on dates, and Trouble Kelp was conveniently "running into" her at the grocery store, training room, or any other place in Haven. By far the worst of any of the males, Trouble called her every night or showed up at her apartment on Saturday nights, asking her to go out for dinner or visit the cinema. Her answer was always a polite no, and she never invited him inside. Something about him scared her, so more often than not, she didn't answer the door or phone. 

            "All finished," Foaly said, jolting Holly back to the present. "Did you plant it?" she asked, her voice hoarse and breathless. Foaly nodded, glancing at the clock. "His alarm is set for 9 am. The first thing he will do is have breakfast and a shower, and then he will go to the computer. It would be best if you were in his room when he wakes up from the shock."

To be continued… 


	7. 6

A/N: FF.net went AWOL earlier, so I didn't get to post chapter 5 when I wanted to. But, alls well that ends well. So, here is chapter 6 for your reading enjoyment! ;) I think chapter 7 will be kind of funny. 

**Fowl ****Manor****, **Ireland********

            She was prepared for anything. Her Neutrino 2003 was at her side, loaded with tranquilizer darts. If all else failed, she would put him under the _mesmer and take him to LEP headquarters. She also had a spare communicator in case Artemis insisted on talking to Foaly or Root. She had gotten in through an upstairs window left open by Artemis's father. She shielded herself and floated right through while the family ate breakfast on a lower floor. No one would even know, and under the previous invitation conditions, she could enter his house. The mission was straight forward. Deliver the message to Artemis in any possible way, and restore his memories._

            Sitting on top of a high bookshelf, shielded, Holly heard the creak of the solid Cherry door as Artemis entered, followed by Butler. Artemis looked the same as he had several months ago, when Holly had secretly visited him. His dark hair was still wet from his shower and was neatly combed. A yellow Armani tie was draped around his neck but not tied, and the buttons on his long sleeved blue Armani dress shirt stood open, revealing the white undershirt he was wearing. His khaki pants were pressed perfectly and were belted with a dark brown Prada leather belt. He was barefoot. Holly's heart pounded in her throat as Artemis flipped open the Dell laptop, pressing the "on" button. "You may leave me now… and make sure no one tries to come in. Especially Juliet. I want to be left alone," Artemis said to Butler, a touch of frustration in his voice. "Of course, Artemis," Butler said, locking the door on his way out. 

            Holly could clearly see the computer screen from her spot on the bookcase, and she held her breath as she saw the Windows XP Professional start up screen. Artemis logged on to his account, unknowingly beginning Foaly's self extracting file. As it loaded, Artemis looked behind him, feeling that he was being watched or that someone else was in the room. He turned back around and saw that his computer screen had turned a soft shade of blue and words had begun to appear on the screen. 

_Artemis Fowl..._

_You have memories you can't explain._

_Dreams that must have been real._

**_I can explain it all to you._**

            Artemis sucked in a breath sharply and again looked around the room to see if he was being watched. His eyes paused briefly on the spot where Holly sat shielded, but then he continued to scan the entire perimeter of the room before returning his eyes to the computer screen. He clicked the "Next" button that had appeared on the screen and more words appeared.

_The Prophecies of Ohm_

**_One shall come among us._**

**_Fowl by name and foul by nature._**

**_A mud man unlike any other._**

**_He shall learn our secrets._**

            Frowning in thought, Artemis clicked the "Next" button. Several of his digital pictures of The Booke appeared as a slide show. "I know this…" Artemis whispered, startling Holly so badly that she nearly fell off the bookcase. After the slide show, a directory of files appeared and the first file was highlighted. "Artemis Fowl's diary, disk 1 (confiscated and classified)" appeared before him. His heart pounded so loudly that he could no longer hear anything else. Too anxious to actually read the files, he opened them and read all of the titles. "Translation of The Booke," "Information on the People," and more diary entries made up the last of the ten files. By the end of this, Artemis was shaking rather badly. Holly had never seen this mud man lose his composure, but it was about to happen. Artemis clicked "Next" and revealed a recording of his memory of Holly shooting a hole in the center of a fairy coin. When the memory stopped playing, Artemis stood up slowly and walked to a bookshelf on the opposite side of the room from where Holly was sitting. He stood at the shelf for a few seconds before reaching out and grabbing a hardback copy of _The Golden Book of Fairy Tales. The fairy coin fell out into his hand._

            Grasping the coin in his left hand, he ripped the tie from his neck and threw it down on the desk, sitting down in front of the computer once again. It was unlike him to become so upset, but he was so close to finding out the answers to all of his questions. He clicked "Next" again. The computer then showed him being prepared for a mind wipe and handing the disc to Mulch. The clip zoomed in, showing that the medallion was actually a small laser disc. Artemis gripped the table, his face pale and skin clammy. Holly was wringing her hands as the video recording of her message appeared on the screen. Before her onscreen self could even begin to speak, Artemis gasped and whispered, "Holly!" His eyes immediately rolled into the back of his head and his body slumped sideways, causing him to slowly fall from his chair and end up sprawled out on the Oriental rug.

            Holly unshielded herself and floated slowly to the ground with the aide of the new "assisted free fall" feature on the set of wings that Foaly had designed for the LEP. "Hey Foaly, you there?" she whispered. "Of course… watching my genius at work in that file has been enlightening. They should pay me more," his voice replied bitterly. "Well, what next?" she asked, ignoring his comments. "We wait. It shouldn't be longer than fifteen minutes, but it could take a week." "A week?!" Holly said, outraged. "Sorry sister. That's life," Foaly said.

To be continued!!!


	8. 7

A/N: Alright, normally I have the chapter written out on paper and then I type it, but I'm going to straight up type this one, so I hope it turns out as well as the others have. I hope you're enjoying the storyline so far. I really like it. (Of course, it's my story! Hahaha) 

**Inside Artemis's head, Fowl Manor, Ireland**

            _These memories are part of who I am… These memories are part of who I am… The words reverberated in Artemis's head as he opened his eyes, squinting as he let his eyes become accustomed to the bright lights in the bar. Bar? Why was he in a bar? Looking around, he saw all sorts of interesting creatures at the tall tables. They seemed to be watching two goblins fighting on television. Frowning, Artemis looked around for something that would give him a clue as to where he was. A blonde fairy walked by him; she was wearing a tube top and some spangled shorts. She walked away to reveal a centaur sitting at the bar, wearing a cowboy hat and boots. "Foaly?" Artemis said, surprised at the words that had come out of his mouth. "Hello, Mud Man. Confused?" Foaly said, looking utterly please with himself. Artemis continued to frown and reluctantly asked, "Am I dead?" The centaur snorted, "Dead? Do you think I would let you die? No one has any faith in the poor centaur!" Artemis crossed his arms, indicating his dissatisfaction with Foaly's answer. "Why don't I remember you? You seem to know me." Artemis said, taking a quick glance around the room. Picking up a television remote, Foaly motioned to the bar stool next to him. "Have a seat, Fowl. We've got a lot of catching up to do…"_

**Fowl **Manor******, ****Ireland**

            "Foaly, it's been close to an hour… are you sure everything is alright?" Holly said into her helmet communicator. For once, the centaur wasn't completely sure about this situation. "Perhaps… perhaps you should bring him back here, so we can monitor him. We've never tried to do this after such a huge mind wipe," he said, keys clacking in the background. Holly felt anger swell up inside her once again, but she refrained from screaming at Foaly so that she would remain undiscovered. She sighed loudly and paused, laying her hand on Artemis's forehead. "Come on, Artemis…" she whispered.

**Inside Artemis's head, Fowl Manor, Ireland**

            "Well, I've got a question… who is Holly?" Artemis asked after setting down the glass of water that the bartender had given him. "That's a very good question, but you have to remember for yourself. Let me show you some of your memories, and then we'll see if you can remember her." Foaly pressed the play button on the remote, and the TV in front of them came on with a soft pop. On the screen was Holly, when he had first seen her. She was picking up an acorn to complete the Ritual. "What am I doing? Why am I watching her?" Artemis asked, his brow furrowed. Foaly chuckled, "You kidnapped her." Continuing to watch the scene unfold, thoughts trickled back into Artemis's head. Gold, fairies, the Ritual, _mesmer… the list went on. The scene on the television ended with Artemis shutting the door to the cell he had kept her in. He frowned. He remembered Holly completely now, but he couldn't understand why he was mean to her. Hadn't she turned out to be his friend? "But… why did I kidnap her? Why did I want to do that? She's my friend, right?" Artemis mused, looking over at Foaly. "Because you were an evil little Mud Man," a female voice said behind him. Artemis felt her punch him hard on the shoulder and he spun around, almost outraged. Standing in front of him was Holly as he last remembered her. She was not wearing her LEP helmet, and he could tell that she was trying very hard not to smile. "Ow, what did you do that for?" he asked, rubbing his shoulder. "Because you deserved it!" she said, tears threatening to spill out of her eyes as a smile spread across her face. Before he could even say anything, Holly had thrown herself at him, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. Artemis smiled, returning the hug. The mystery was beginning to disappear._

            Holly sat on the stool next to him as Foaly said, "Now that you remember Holly, let's work on remembering Mulch, Root, and a few others." Foaly again pressed the play button, bringing up Artemis's memory of the mind wipe. Before the clip even finished, Root and Mulch appeared at the bar, Root puffing on his fungus cigar. Seeming pleased with him, Artemis smiled. "You seem to be catching up quickly for a Mud Man. Now, I want you to look around the bar… all of these fairies, goblins, and miscellaneous creatures are also part of your memories. You will find that you remember all of them now," Foaly said, looking around the room. Artemis nodded, indicating that he could indeed remember all of the patrons in the bar. "But why are we in a bar, Foaly?" Holly whispered as Artemis continued to scan the room. The centaur shrugged, "I don't know… it sounded like a place a Mud Man would go." They noticed that Artemis was now sitting in frustrated silence. "Is something wrong, Artemis?" Holly asked, her hazel eyes studying the seventeen year old boy in front of her. "Why is it that I can remember everyone, and I can even recall how I know them, but I don't know how they relate to each other… or even how I feel about them? I'm sure I'm probably supposed to hate Root, but why can't I remember that?" Artemis asked, looking from Holly to Foaly. 

            Foaly looked at Holly, who looked back at him. "Because it's the last step… once we release the rest of your memories, you will be free to do with them as you please. It's important that it's done correctly, or you may revert to that evil Mud Man that you once were, complete with all the knowledge one could possibly get about the People," Foaly said, looking a little bit concerned. "We just hope you will make the right choice, Artemis," Holly said, her eyes meeting his. "Why are you so concerned?" Artemis asked, looking at Holly. Foaly continued, "We don't know who is giving you these memories back… hopefully it is our real life selves, so that we can be sure that you wake up to a positive memory. However, if it is someone who is plotting against the LEP, then our world could be in danger when we release the rest of your memories." Artemis looked at Foaly and then looked back at Holly. "But I don't want to harm you… I promise I won't," he said, trying to remember why Holly's presence was affecting him. "We appreciate the gesture, but your thoughts here won't be able to control you once you wake up…" Foaly said, standing up. 

            Holly looked at Foaly and then at Artemis. Foaly stood in front of Artemis, studying the young Mud Man. "Are you ready for this?" Foaly asked, picking up the remote control once more. Artemis let out a shaky breath as he held Holly's gaze. Finally breaking it, he looked at Foaly, who was pointing the remote straight at him. Artemis nodded and Foaly pressed play. 

            A rushing sound filled Artemis's ears as the people standing before him began to fade away. He remembered now… Foaly was his friend, as was Mulch. Root was like an enemy, yet not totally. And Holly…

**Fowl **Manor******, ****Ireland**

            Holly's eyes hadn't left Artemis's body in the two hours that had passed since Artemis had fallen unconscious. She was really beginning to wonder if they had done the right thing. Taking him to LEP headquarters would be risky, but if something was seriously wrong, then she needed to get him to Foaly and the techies. But something had just changed. _Did his eyes just move? _she wondered, studying him. It was several minutes before it happened again, but she saw it clearly this time. Artemis's eyes were moving behind his closed lids. "Foaly, he's still out of it, but he's moving his eyes around," she whispered into her helmet mic. She was sure she had heard the centaur sigh with relief before he said, "It's working. He should be waking up very soon."

            As suddenly as the eye movement began, Artemis took as huge breath, scaring Holly so badly that she had to slam her hand over her mouth to stop herself from screaming. She stared at Artemis, whose eyes were now wide open. "Holly? Are you here?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. Her hand remained clamped over her mouth, but she let out a small squeak, which Artemis heard. Afraid to face reality, Artemis slowly sat up and turned to his left to face her. He was holding his breath. He wouldn't have recognized her if he hadn't looked straight into her eyes, but he saw round, hazel eyes staring back at him. "What took you so long to find me?" he said, looking at her. She swallowed, removing her hand from in front of her mouth. "Believe me… I wanted to bring you back, but no one would let me." He studied her for a minute before opening his mouth again, "Your hair… it's so long. I almost didn't recognize you." She absentmindedly touched her hair as she said, "I don't know why I don't just cut it." Artemis smiled, not feeling like his normal self, but not feeling like the Artemis of the last three years. "You should leave it that way. I like it," he stated simply.

To be continued!


	9. 8

A/N: Man, how do I follow a chapter like the last? I hope you guys are still reading… 

And to the reviewer who asked if this story has an actual plot or is simply about the memories and all: Well, I honestly haven't decided! ;)

**LEP Headquarters, Lower Elements **

Surprisingly enough, the day after Artemis regained his memories, both his and Holly's lives were pretty much back to normal. The week continued with telephone calls arranged by Foaly and a few emails a day. Artemis had to continue living his normal life so that no one would suspect anything, and Holly was very busy with planning. Planning of what, she couldn't exactly reveal yet. She had to be sure… sure that this was going to work out. 

Sitting at one of the computer terminals in the LEP computer lab, Holly checked her email on her lunch hour. It was Friday and she was ecstatic. Her life in general may have been back to normal, but her life at LEP Recon was surely not normal. Foaly was constantly making remarks about her hair since he had heard the compliment that Artemis had given her, and Trouble was pouting, plotting, and behaving very unpleasantly. Root was constantly frowning at her from behind his stinking cigar, yelling at her for every misstep she took. As if she wasn't having enough trouble concentrating already! 

_From: Artemis@FowlManor.net_

_To: HShort@LEPrecon.LEP.net_

_11:45:15 GMT___

_Dear Holly,_

_The plans are all set for tonight. __Butler__ doesn't suspect anything and my parents think I am going on a research trip to __London__ for a week. I've got the dart you loaned me, and as soon as _Butler___ and I reach the rendezvous spot, I will shoot him in the neck with it. We should be there around _6:30pm___. You'll be off work by that time, correct? I'm looking forward to seeing you tonight. Perhaps while __Butler__ is indisposed in Foaly's laboratory, we could head off to the cinema. The fairies wouldn't be too upset to see a Mud Boy in their theatre, would they?_

_Sincerely,_

_Artemis_

            The movies? Artemis wanted to take her to the movies? She felt giddier than she had ever felt in her short 85 years, and it was all because a Mud Man had asked her to go to the cinema. After taking a deep drink from her bottle of still water, Holly composed a reply to his email and then logged off of the computer when she had finished, running all the way to Recon so that she wouldn't be late again.

**Fowl **Manor******, ****Ireland**

            After a light lunch of broiled trout, broccoli, and new potatoes, Artemis snuck up to his room to check for Holly's latest email. He knew that she would be on her lunch hour, and he was sure that she would check her email in the LEP labs. He also knew that she would check her email on her evening break at four thirty, ensuring that he would get at least one more email from her before he saw her. Locking the door behind him, Artemis retrieved his laptop from his dresser and sat down on his bed, reclining into the large feather pillows.

            The aftermath of Foaly's "memory virus" was only apparent when the computer reached the login screen. The usual "Artemis Fowl" was replaced with "Mud Boy." Artemis was perfectly capable of fixing the problem, but he found it rather amusing. A smile crossed his lips as he typed in his password. He immediately went to his email inbox to read Holly's newest email. It had almost become an addiction for both of them, and Artemis was ready for his next fix. Seeing the name "Captain Holly Short" evoked more emotions in him than habañero peppers did, and that was really saying something. His heart pounded wildly as the message opened on his screen.

            _From: HShort@LEPrecon.LEP.net_

_            To: Artemis@FowlManor.net_

_12:21:30 GMT___

_            Artemis,_

_Yes, I will be done with my shift before _6:30___, so I should be able to accompany Foaly to the rendezvous point. Make sure you bring a swimsuit with you for this weekend. We might be able to sneak up to __Tara_ to take a swim in the ponds there. I've got your sleeping quarters all reserved for you at the hotel in downtown Haven. Mud Men have stayed there before, so you shouldn't be frowned upon too much. As for the movie theatre, I would love to go, but they are playing the most horrible movies right now. Instead, we can go to my apartment and watch one of my favorite movies. It's a little bloody and gory, but I'm sure you will enjoy it. __

_I'm looking forward to seeing you, too. We've got a lot of catching up to do, and I can't wait to hear all about your three "fairy-less" years. _

_Sorry, have to run!_

_Holly_

            A movie at Holly's apartment? His body practically shook from the nervous energy that was welling up inside of him. He would be so happy to see her again, and the thought of spending time alone with her was almost too much for him to handle. No Foaly, no Butler, just Artemis and Holly. The keys clacked as Artemis typed a reply, trying not to sound desperate.

_            From: Artemis@FowlManor.net_

_To: HShort@LEPrecon.LEP.net_

_12:35:08 GMT___

_            Dear Holly,_

_The movie idea sounds excellent to me, and it will be nice to have some time alone to catch up on the past three years. However, I don't believe that mine were exactly "fairy-free." What's this I hear about you sneaking up to the surface to spy on me? Foaly told me that you almost got caught, but he covered for you. I know, I'm irresistible. ;) Just kidding! I hope you're enjoying your shift this afternoon. I'm sure that no one is making life easy for you at LEP headquarters since the name Artemis Fowl doesn't exactly bring about happy memories for a few of the officers. However, if I could convince **you** that I'm not evil, I'm sure I won't have too much trouble with the rest. Convincing you of that was only slightly more difficult than walking on water. But alas, I'm rambling. Enjoy your shift and I shall see you soon. My mobile is on, if you need to reach me._

_Sincerely,_

_Artemis_

            His bags were completely packed and loaded by two thirty, including any equipment he might need for his fictitious research trip. He and Butler would need to leave by three thirty for the plan to work out correctly, and many lies were going to have to be told to get Butler to drive in the opposite direction of the airport. Artemis knew he would have no trouble explaining away the change in plans, but he wasn't sure that he would be able to shoot Butler with the dart. After all, wasn't that what Butler had been trained for? Dodging darts? Artemis tapped his fingers silently on the bar counter in the kitchen, contemplating his plan. Butler was preparing a snack of cucumber sandwiches for he and Artemis since it had been several hours since lunch. 

            The casually dressed Artemis Fowl followed Butler outside to the car after they had their snack, and Artemis checked his titanium Rolex watch. 3:28. Perfect. He adjusted the collar on his yellow Izod polo shirt and climbed into the back seat of the family's new, black Cadillac CTS. Butler did his typical under-car check and then climbed into the driver's seat, starting the American import and pulling out of the manor's garage. As Butler made the motions to turn left, Artemis said, "Butler, turn right. We're not going to the airport." Butler corrected the vehicle and then replied simply, "As I suspected, Artemis." Artemis handed him a sheet of directions to Tara, informing him to follow them. _That was easier than I originally expected_, Artemis mused, pulling his mobile phone out of his pocket. 

            Artemis Fowl didn't like waiting. After three years of maturation and growth, one would think that patience would have been something Artemis could have learned. On the contrary, Artemis was even more impatient. He currently felt that as every second passed, his chest got a little tighter, restricting his breathing. After twenty minutes of agony, he pressed the window switch and let in some fresh air, taking a deep breath. "Are you alright, Artemis?" Butler asked, catching his eyes in the rear view mirror. "I'm fine. It's just a bit stuffy in here," Artemis replied, wondering if Butler would be able to see the gun before he shot the dart. .

            On time as always, Holly's email arrived to Artemis at four thirty-five. His mobile beeped, indicating that he had received an email, so he quickly opened his laptop which was connected to Ireland's wireless network. 

            _To: Artemis@FowlManor.net_

_            From: HShort@LEPrecon.LEP.net_

_16:33:09 GMT_

_            Artemis,_

_I will be so glad when this shift is over. It seems that some goblin decided to go crazy on the streets in a small Haven neighborhood, and he started throwing fireballs at this lady's house. Well the lady comes back out with this fire extinguisher and sprays the goblin. This only made the goblin angrier, so he started throwing more fireballs. Pretty soon, the whole block was in flames. What does this have to do with Recon, you ask? Well, believe me. I asked myself the same question. But Root insisted that I go to the scene, so now I'm covered in soot and foam from the fire extinguisher. I'm leaving early to take a shower whether he likes it or not. _

_Well, I hope things are going alright with you. Good luck with the dart. Foaly and I will be there to meet you at _6:30___. I'm sure you're already on your way now. I can't wait to see you! _

_See you soon,_

_Holly_

            Artemis spent the next hour reading through his and Holly's old emails from the week. He couldn't help but smile. From the second Artemis regained his memory, a strange feeling had been present in the pit of his stomach. The feeling changed with his moods, and sometimes it made him nauseous. Other times, it filled his whole body, bringing a slight tingle to his finger tips. As he relaxed into the leather seats of the Cadillac, he closed his eyes, remembering what Holly's long hair had looked like… how he had longed to reach out and touch it. What was happening to him? He had never felt this way before. It was almost as if… no, it couldn't be. But why else would he be so nervous? Artemis's eyes popped open, his vision falling on the trees outside. They were so green. Artemis smiled, leaning back into the leather seat. 

To be continued…


End file.
